Ooo, phew! I thought it would something intimidating like "Tim" or "Sheldon"

As you can tell by my tittles, I love Ice Age.

My fellow bloggers will be so proud of me.  Two posts IN A ROW!  *victory dance*  Go me!  Go me!

Okay, enough dancing.

My family is getting a new puppy, and the search for finding the perfect name has begun.  Obviously, we will have to see the puppy to make a final decision, but it's good to already have several names picked.

For Christmas, I got a book to help me pick a name.  It's called The Best Pet Name Book Ever by Wayne Bryant Eldridge.  Based on that book, this post is about Pet Names.

Out of the 23 categories in the Book, I have excluded some and combined others to create only 3 categories.

1. Common
2. Cultural
3. Crazy a.k.a Funny

1. Common
This category is the most usual responses to finding a pet name.  Names like "Bear", "Goofy", "Buddy", "Honey".  These names are based on Appearance, Personality, People Names, and Loving Terms.  I've chosen names from the book that you don't normally hear everyday.

Ace
Agatha
Albino
Apathy
Banshee
Beau Beau
Beige-ing
Bright Eyes
Carmella
Chainsaw
Chiquita
Cutie Pie
Dennis the Menace
Ebony
Fatso
Finesse
Fluffer
Funny Face
Genius

Good Girl/Boy

Goony

Hey Girl/Boy

Hi-Ho Silver
Hobo
Impulse
Iota
Jinx
Jumbo
Kaffir
Khaki

Kissy Face

Lonesome

Lov-a-Lot

Lynx
Manly
Meathead
Nightmare
Nuffin
Nugget
Ocelot
Oddball
Pee Wee
Pliers

Precious (This is for all you Lord of the Ring fans)

Q Ball
Radar
Ronald
Runt
Sausage Dog

Sir Lick-a-Lot

Sweetums
Terminator
Toothpick
True Blue
Ugly
Valiant
Velcro
Weiner Dog

Wild Thing

Yvonne

Zane

Zeke

2.  Cultural 

This category is names from history, entertainment, etc from a certain culture.  Names like Brutus, Romeo, Baloo, Bugs Bunny, and Beyoncé.

Aesop
Aristotle
Aztec
Balto
Beatles    

Charlemagne
Cicero
Constantine
Mr. Darcy
Dr. Watson
El Dorado
Euripides
Flash Gordon
Fred Basset (or Flinstone)
Garth Brooks
George Harrison (from the Beatles)
Han Solo
Happy (or any of the other Seven Dwarfs)
Herbie
Igor
Indiana Jones
Jackson (Stonewall)
King Kong
Kramer
Linus
Louie (Huey, Dewey)
Lucy
Michael Jackson
Miley Cyrus
Napoleon (Bonaparte)
Newton (Sir Isaac)
Paramore
Paul McCartney
Rembrandt
Seaman (Meriwether Lewis's Newfoundland)
Socrates
Titian
Wile E. Coyote
Xena
Yogi (Bear)


3.  Crazy a.k.a Funny
This category includes some very unusual names.  They are either funny, crazy, or just plain weird.  Names like Blanquito(a), Justa Cat, or Budweiser.  I've chosen them from the fashion world, foreign terms, foods and drinks, and just the unusual.

Abogato
Al Poochino
Beeren (German for "berries")
Bier (German for "beer")
Cabernet (Sauvignon)
Cognac
Dobie Won Kanobi
Dough Boy
Escargot (French delicacy)
Foster's
Gigio (Italian for "cricket")
Hi Pockets
Hissy Fit
Ilsa
Jack Daniels
Ker Plop
Lemon Drop
Linguini
Meat
Monterey Jack
Nacho
Neiman Marcus
Oso(a) (Spanish for "bear")
Paraphernalia
PiCatSo
Quatro (Spanish for 4)
Ralph Lauren
Rolex
Singapore Sling
Starbucks
Toutou (French for "doggie")
UGG
Vodka
Wrangler
Xing Tao (Chinese Beer)
Vaquero (Spanish for "cowboy")
Zinfandel (Wine)
Ziplock

Wow, this post took forever to create!  So, appreciate it, because I put a lot of strenuous labor into it!  =)

You all love me.

I hope this wasn't too long and boring.  I tried my best to make it interesting.

~Emma~

Dog Biscuits

     After Emma's humorous Ice Age referencing title, I felt like this was a little boring, but oh well. I'll just have to make do. It does portray the subject accurately.

     As Emma said in her post, dogs do need treats. They need treats as much as we need candy--desperately!! Enough said. Let's make some dog treats!

     This recipe does call for some things that you may, upon first reading, say 'who in the world keeps these things in their house?!' but you should be able to find all of these things without too much trouble. Look in the bulk section of a health food store, or even your local grocery store. You never know, they may carry some of these ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 cup cracked wheat
1/4 cup skim milk powder
1 1/2 t. yeast
1 3/4 cup lukewarm chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Put in a large mixing bowl the flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, cracked wheat, and skim milk powder.

NOTE: Cracked wheat is different from flour. I did mine in a hand mill.

You can see the texture is rough and there is still a semblance of individual grains.

Once all the above ingredients are in the bowl, combine them completely. Make sure they are mixed thoroughly so there won't be pockets of a certain ingredient anywhere in the finished product.

Skim milk power is especially good for puppies because of the protein. 

On the side, dissolve the yeast in the chicken broth. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

Yummy yummy! You can see a weird glob at the bottom.
That is a spoon of Bacon fat just so there's another flavor in there.

Add the broth to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. I actually found it easier to spread it with a knife than to use a rolling pin. This particular batch was quite sticky so the rolling pin just tore it up.

Cut out the biscuits. I'm using a can that once had tomato paste or some such eatable in it in order to get a round shape. I normally would use a small dog bone shape but I couldn't find it this time around. Oh well. Tastes the same! (Not that I've tasted it or anything like that)

Transfer these to a baking sheet.

Place an egg in a small bowl and beat with a fork or small whisk until smooth. This is an egg wash.

Brush this onto the biscuits with a small pastry brush.

The egg wash will add flavor and nutrients and will give the biscuit a hard, shiny top after baking.
Bake biscuits for 45 minutes. I know it sounds like a long time but don't shorten it! They do take that long. Once biscuits are done baking, transfer to a cooling rack to cool and harden.

Your dog will love these homemade biscuits! Not only is it better for them because of the grains and protein, but the meat broth is so, so, so much healthier for them than artificial flavorings (and it tastes real!).

Recipe from The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery.

Did you die? Sadly, yes. But I lived!

My "real" first post is still in the making (it's pretty long), but I didn't want anyone to think I had died, so I'm going to write a shorter post about basic dog care.

Train the dog, feed the dog, love the dog.  Not necessarily in that order.

And that just about sums it up.

Just kidding.

But, seriously, dogs are pretty easy.  Yes, you need to be responsible, but that goes for any pet.  Dogs thrive on food and love.  Training is a good addition not only for you, but also for your dog.  I would stop here, but my fellow bloggers might get mad and then I'd be in the dog house.


You should be laughing at my not very funny joke.

Okay, let's get started.  Training your dog should began when he is still a puppy.  Some dogs don't need as much training as others.  A Chihuahua isn't going to need as much learning in heel as a German Shepherd would.  The five necessary commands you need to teach your dog are the following:  sit, stay, come, lie down, and heel.  Now, I just want to say something on teaching these:  you don't need to use these exact same words when you are teaching your dog these commands.  I once met a guy who taught his dog to sit when he said "banana".  That's right, banana.  I always thought it would be funny if someone taught his dog to sit when he said "lie down" or stay when he said "come".  That would be awesome.

For feeding, well, it's feeding.  Find a dog food brand that you like and give it to your dog.  This is the brand I use for my dog:

It's Natural Choice.  We've never had any problems with it.  I believe Rachel uses Iams.

Rachel, you'll have to leave a comment and tell me if you do use Iams and what you think of it if you do.

A lot of people use Beneful, but I don't know anyone personally who uses it, and I've never used it.




















Also, don't forget to include human food along with your dog's main food.  Eggs help to keep their coat nice and shiny.  Frozen vegetables are a good choice for a healthy snack for you and the dog.  And how can anyone forget meat?  Dogs are carnivores, after all.  Oh, and also dog treats.  Just like we need our candy, dogs need their treats.  Peanut butter flavored dog treats are a big thing for dogs. At least, my dog loves them.  I suggest feeding your dog about 3 times a day.  Two bigger meals at breakfast and dinner and smaller one at lunch.  If you have a dog like mine, you'll end up feeding him way more than three types.  But if you want a dog with a small mid-section, try keeping to three types.  Fill in the in between times with frozen vegetables

And finally, love your dog.  Dogs are like humans in that they need love.  Could you live and life where nobody cared about you?  I know I couldn't.  Well, dogs can't either.  They may be animals, but that doesn't mean they are emotionless.

Other people might go into more details about dog care, but each dog is different and each owner is different.  Raising a dog is much like raising a child.  I know my parents have used different forms of discipline for each child, because each child is different.  So is each dog.  Every owner has his own preference on how to raise a dog just as every parent has his own preference on how to raise a child.  I only ask that you always remember to show a little kindness to your dog, because they will always show kindness to us.

Thank you so much for reading this!  I know I can be repetitive, I'm sorry for that, but I hope it wasn't too bad.  Have a wonderful day and give your canine friend a good pat on the head.

~Emma~

DIY Dog Toy

     Here is a super simple dog toy that you can make with items just laying around your house!

My dog, Cocoa, has a tendency to chew on laundry. Whether it's in a basket or on a person it's all chewing items to him! That's why I made this toy. I suppose the fabrics felt good in his mouth because they were firm enough to help but soft enough to not cut him (he's teething). So, with no further ado, let's get started!

You will need:

Scissors
3 strips of fabric (the fabrics don't have to be the same type or color or anything. Use your imagination to create a one of a kind toy)

I used two strips of fleece and a strip of a woven cottony sort of fabric.

My fleece strips were narrower than my cotton one because of the thickness of the fabric. I cut the cotton one wider to make up for the lightness of the fabric weave. The fleece is about 3" wide while the cotton is 4" (looks like other measurements because the tape measure was bent).

Tie the three strips together at the top leaving about two inches at the top. Braid down about one foot. Then tie off again. Cut the excess strip at the end to make the top and bottom even.

Cut the excess strip at the end to make the top and bottom even.

TIP: if you don't have fabric around your house, cut strips from a rag, or an old t-shirt. It'll work just the same.

Tada! Now, my dog (and yours, as the case may be) can chew on fabric to his heart's content without getting into trouble.

Betta Fish!

I have always had a love for Betta fish for many reasons. The first it how easy they can be kept, without keeping them in unsuitable habitats. Today I'm going to give a 'how to' sort of thing for keeping betta fish. One thing to note is that this is all my opinion however it's all been tested on many, many betta fish and has proved very successful.

First thing to talk about is tank sizes. There is a lot of talk about this topic over the internet however I think you'll find that my suggestion makes sense even to the very beginner fish keeper. At the pet stores you can finds the smallest little tanks that are just not healthy for fish to live it. Although you might think "Woah! I can keep a fish in a jar the size of a drinking glass, how easy is that?!" Just be warned that if you decide to keep your fish in a drinking glass sized tank its life will be more than 50% shorter. And so what I recommend, very highly, is that two gallons should be the SMALLEST you keep your single Betta fish in. If at first you read this and think that two gallons means you have to have a filter and a heater and all this professional fish equipment to keep your fish healthy. That is not correct. Although I recommend a filter for any tank you keep, two gallon tanks with just one fish in it can be kept easily cleaned without equipment. And so we can move on to fish decor and more!

For the most part, all the decorations and rocks found at the pet store are safe to use. I'm going to tell you the easiest ones to use, not the 'prettiest' or 'coolest'. Just the easiest. Alright, for rocks the I always use 'river rocks' you can get them in bags at the pet store. The reason I chose these over other rocks is that these are much bigger than other rocks and can therefore be cleaned easier. They don't fit down the drain and don't stick to everything when they're wet. As for decor I always keep it simple. One or two plants and for pretty-ness and color, I have a collection of large (Okay... not large, but maybe 5 or 6 times bigger than a standard river rock) colorful rocks that I put in the tank one at a time. That way every time I clean my fish's tank I get to make it a little different. One thing I think I need to touch on is feeding; when and what. 

As for what I always use tropical fish food crisps. There is a link to the page of the exact food I use. As for when I feed, I feed my betta two ore three crisps (I always squeeze them in my fingers to crush them before I put them in the water) every other day. Your betta's stomach is only the size of one of its eye, so it doesn't need a lot of food. I know successful betta keepers who only feed theirs once a week. I urge you not to feed them every day, that can cut down their life length. 

Whew! We're getting close to being done! I promise! 

I also want to talk about gold fish vs. betta fish. What most people don't know, and what pet store clerks don't tell you, is that gold fish are pond-fish and can actually get over 7 inches long! Imagine having a gold fish in a 'gold fish bowl'. Those are usually between 1 and 3 gallons. Putting a gold fish in that stunts its growth so much that it slowly kills the poor not so little fish. Betta fish's growth is not stunted in a two gallon tank, therefore they make great pets! I know there is a slight thrill of having a gold fish in a gold fish bowl, but just think about how that fish needs a least 100 gallons to live nicely. That's why the are classified as 'pond fish'. 

In this post I didn't talk about the best ways of cleaning your fish tank, because I thought  if I had the post would become a book. Not that cleaning them is hard, its just that I always have a lot to say when it comes to animals. 

Here is the link I was talking about, about the fish food: http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/Detail.aspx?id=4172

Here is a picture of my betta tank, you can see my plant and rock, with the river rocks:
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s130/sh/7f3fbe80-ab6a-4dab-bcb0-22703373a157/e048a7b2f040c6105023d94269eacd64

NOTE: That is an 'evernote' link, it is safe (No adds, as far as I know) just copy and paste it into your brower and it will show you my picture. I'm sorry I'm not as smart as Rachel, and can't figure out how to post pictures right to this post. Ah well.

Thanks for reading!
As always, the always talking,

~MOIRA

Cocoa, the brave, the daring... the adorable

And here he is! Cocoa--       Cute isn't he?

 He is 14 weeks old, a standard poodle, chocolate colored, and oh-so-cute!

He seemed to have the most fun outside, hopping around in the snow. So so so cute!
Sorry about the picture quality, these were taken on my phone of a perpetually moving subject.

-Rachel-

Coming Soon!

     New puppy joining our family this Saturday!! Yay! I am super excited! My dog Jasper died last summer and we've all missed him, but now we are getting a new puppy! He is a brown Standard Poodle named Cocoa. He is 14 weeks old so he's still pretty little. Pictures coming as soon as possible!

-Rachel-

Simple Dog Tricks

     I thought I would share some tricks that you can teach your dog quite easily that go beyond the basic 'sit down, roll over, shake hands' stuff. There are a lot of things that look really impressive to spectators but are super simple to teach. My dog was a poodle, and let me just say (I know everyone says this,) he was an absolutely amazing dog. He was willing to do pretty much anything he was asked. ....He just didn't speak English so he didn't always know what I was asking. Anyway! Onward to easily-taught-impressively-shown tricks!

Number 1: Hoop Jumping


Like so many other tricks, it takes more time than effort. You have to be willing to do it more than once a week. Once the dog has been taught, it makes great exercise for him and it is fun for you!


With hoop jumping, you will need (obviously) a hoop. Without a hoop it would pretty much be --ah--jumping. I used a hoola hoop that I got at Walmart.

Start with the hoola hoop resting against the ground; hold it upright so that your dog can walk through without having to step high. Coax him through by holding a treat on the other side of the hoop so he has to walk through to get the treat. Don't reward him unless he went through the hoop! From then, move on gradually. Lift it so that he can walk through easily, but it isn't touching the ground. Then raise it so he will lift both front paws at the same time and then the back ones. Finally, raise it so it become a full scale jump. After that, it's up to you and your dog how high you want to go; the sky's the limit! OK, the height your dog can jump is the actual limit. Have fun!

Number 2: Push-ups


Now drop and give me twenty!! Hehe, just kidding. With this trick, all your dog will need to know beforehand is how to lay down and stand up. Pretty basic right? Hopefully he will be able to master doing then in quick succession! 


Start with your dog laying down-- either in front of or to the side of you. Lure him upwards with a treat. As soon as he rises, give him the treat. Then give him the command to lie down. Alternate rise and lie until he catches on. Reward him for a job well done! Don't let him creep forward as he's doing push-ups and don't keep him at it till he's exhausted and frustrated; it's not boot camp!

Number 3: Jump Over a Bar


Just like a hurdle, but for dogs; maybe it will make it into the Olympics--who knows?! Poker made it.


You can buy nice bar set ups specifically for dogs, but if you want, just set up two chairs and a broomstick. The broom stick should be set up so that if the dog hits it on his way over, it will come off. So the chairs should be set up with the backs facing the starting point and the broom laying across the seats so it will slide forward. I found it easiest in teaching this trick to have your dog sit at the starting point and then walk over to the other side of the bar. Then, from the end point, you can call him and he will (hopefully) jump over the bar on his way. If he goes under or around, don't reward him! If he goes over, praise him--he deserves it. If he is hesitant and you can't get him to do it no matter what, go over the hurdle with him (sounds ridiculous, I know). I had to do this a few times with my dog and it helped a lot. Keep working on it! If he's a fast learner, you could even be sending him across from the starting point after only a few days. Just remember to stay positive because if you think he can, he'll be able to. If you think he can't, he won't be able to. Dogs know this stuff. Don't ask me how.

And finally to finish off with.....

Number 4: Take a Bow


He deserves to take a bow and hear your praise... Maybe get a treat. I'm sure he'd appreciate that.


Have your dog stand facing you. Hold a treat in the palm of your hand and hold it at nose height. But don't give it to him now. Press your fist (with the treat inside) gently against his nose and downward. Release the treat and reward him as soon as his elbows touch the ground. If he is laying down completely, you need to release the treat sooner. It's not mandatory that his elbows touch the ground. You're looking mostly for the pronounced dip of the head.

Dun da dun! 4 easy tricks that look like you attended training school! Have fun!

-Rachel-

Tricks came from 101 Dog Tricks by Kyra Sundance and Chalcy. Great book; I would definitely recommend it for those who are serious about teaching their dog some showing off techniques!

DIY Bird Treat

Hi, Rachel here! I have a DIY treat you can do for birds today--either pets or wild birds! Almost all birds love popcorn. Making a popcorn string is relatively easy and it should last for a little while.

You will need:

Popcorn
thread
needle
a bird-safe stopper, such as a wooden bead

So, you will need to start with some popcorn. You shouldn't use the packaged bag popcorn because chemicals and such in the popcorn are potentially harmful to birds. There are three ways you can make bird safe popcorn easily.

With an air popper, you don't need anything but the kernels to make popcorn. With the stove popper, you need some kind of oil, so I would suggest coconut oil. The last way to make popcorn safely is to place a small handful of kernels in a brown paper bag, fold down the top a few times, and put it in the microwave for a few seconds, till the pops are about 1 second apart. Don't leave it too long or it will get burned!

After you have some clean popcorn, you can thread it using the needle and thread.

Use your stopper to tie to the end so the popcorn won't just slide off. For pet birds you only need 10-15 pieces of popcorn but if you want to put some outside for wild birds, you may want a string several feet long. It's all up to you though.

Don't be surprised if your bird won't touch the treat for a few days. Many birds will take a little time to be comfortable enough with something in their cage to try chewing on it.